'Article 18 just an ideological totem' says Renzi

12/08/2014

'Pointless' to debate contentious 1970 labor law says premier

Art. 18: Renzi, è totem ideologico, dibattito inutile ++
Rome, August 12 - Article 18 of Italy's workers statute
is just a symbol, and debating it is a pointless exercise,
center-left Premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday in an interview on
State broadcaster RAI 3.
His comments came after Interior Minister Angelino Alfano,
who comes from the New Center Right (NCD) party, on Monday
called for the abolition of Article 18 of the 1970 Workers
Statue, a law that forbids companies with over 15 employees from
firing people without just cause.
The measure is highly unpopular with business and has been
blamed by some for adding to unemployment by discouraging
hiring.
"Article 18...is just a symbol, an ideological totem," the
premier told Millennium program.
"Debating whether or not to abolish it is a futile
exercise".
Renzi's right-wing allies called for abolition of the
contentious measure in Italy's labour law to be on the agenda at
the next cabinet meeting at the end of this month, when
ministers are slated to debate Renzi's Unblock Italy measures to
boost productivity and untangle red tape in the struggling
Italian economy, which is again in recession.
The premier went on to say that he will not accept economic
input from the center-right party of Silvio Berlusconi, with
which he stipulated a deal to collaborate on election law
reform.
"I read everyone's dossiers and suggestions," Renzi said.
"But our deal only covers two points: Constitutional reform and
the electoral law".
Reforming Italy's current electoral law, which has been
ruled unconstitutional, is Renzi's next big battle when summer
recess ends.